King Ravana and flights of fancy on Dandu Monara

by Padma Edirisinghe

King Ravana is one of those characters who has immortalised himself in Lanka’s saga. What sustains him forever? Mostly legends and fancy tales. That is more or less the viewpoint of sceptics while many, mostly those suffused with national pride like to garnish them with a true historical touch. For them the Dandu Monara was actually an air plane that cruised far off skies carrying mighty Ravana to distant corners. He ruled the world and Sri Lanka was more or less the centre and machinating point of the world.

Among those obsessed with king Ravana is Mirando Obeysekera who has established his research centre in distant Madipola off Matale. Unfortunately, he is now indisposed which has limited his research to speculations on bed. He has sent me this exploratory note on Ravana and the Hellas. The word Hellas, he probably used for Hellas or the Sinhalas. Hellas however in real usage means a shield. However, he seems to distinguish these Hellas as a Yakka ethnic group who lived here.

For a very imaginative person it is not much of a feat to travel around the world while on bed. There is a human settlement called Hellas in Switzerland that was founded by this Hella ethnic group. Dandu Monara may have facilitated the long voyage. He writes, ‘During the time of Emperor Ravana BP 7500 he sent some groups of Hellas of noble Yakka ethnic group of Lanka to explore and find out new green pastures for human settlements all over the world. Therefore the Hellas have been able to make new human settlements in North, South and Central America. The aborigines of these countries are the Hellas of Lanka.”

Ola leaves

Mirando Obeysekara also cites ancient ola leaves (existing or non existing) that the founder of Argentina was Arjan, a relation of Ravana. It amazes one as to how ingeniously Obeysekera connects present place names in the world to the Ravana saga. While the founder of Brazil was a Sri Lankan hermit named Barazila. Palasthy? What is it? A composite of present Jordan, Gaza and Israel and according to Ravana Katha, founder of Palasthy was a Hella named Juda Raksha of Sri Lanka. Earlier it was called Kannan. Ravana felt that this was a very strategic piece of territory, the Rough sea(Dead sea) and Red Sea so very close.

It bridged Asia, Africa and Europe. How did it come to be called Palasthy or Palasthena or the plateau of the Carpet? Because the team from Sri Lanka sat on a Palas and made a vow regarding its future. What flights of fancy or am I or he going mad? But yet there is some charm in it all... the charm of Canaan where many things happened along the long passage of time and would still happen.

New inhabitants

The new inhabitants of the area complained to Ravana that the tidal waves of the Rough sea were posing a problem. Ravana went there by his plane, offered a pooja to the Sun God and made the Rough sea silent. After that it became the Dead Sea for ever.

After Ravana passed away the clan of Juda Raksha faced many enemies and they fled to Mesapotamia and other neighbouring countries. Then Moses the Hermit of Judas clan gathered all these to Kanaan. Dr. Obeysekera says, “Now the original settlers of Kanaan stepped into a sandy part and formed Israel. Their language was Hebrew. Megalithic Hela language exists on stone inscriptions even today.”

Jews according to him are the descendants of Juda Raksha from Sri Lanka. A population of 4000 Jews had once lived in Lanka according to Benjamin Rabai.

With all due courtesy to the tireless researcher who devoted his whole life to research one does feel jealous of him. After a hectic academic life he is now letting his fancy wander around the world.

It may not be fancy after all, for many believe little Lanka to have been at the centre of activity in the world during Ravana’s time especially since no other contemporary ruler owned an air vessel or Dandu Monara that still graces our air lines.